The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment
Encyclopedia
The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment is based at RAF Cranwell
, and is one of three established bands
in the Royal Air Force
.
Band in 1942 at RAF Belton Park
, the band is now administered by RAF Music Services
. The Band takes part in major events such as The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
, as well as a busy schedule of services and charity engagements.
In the past, the band was based at RAF Catterick
from 1946 until 1994. It then moved four times, until 1999 it moved to RAF Cranwell where it works alongside The Band of the Royal Air Force College.
In October 2007 it featured on Radio 2
's Friday Night is Music Night
with the BBC Concert Orchestra
.
RAF Cranwell
RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...
, and is one of three established bands
Military band
A military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
History
Originally formed from the Coastal CommandRAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
Band in 1942 at RAF Belton Park
RAF Belton Park
RAF Belton Park was a Royal Air Force corps accommodation depot during World War II and is notable as the first depot of the Royal Air Force Regiment...
, the band is now administered by RAF Music Services
RAF Music Services
Royal Air Force Music Services is based at RAF Northolt and RAF Cranwell, and forms the central administration of one hundred and seventy musicians divided between the Central Band of the Royal Air Force, The Band of the Royal Air Force College, The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment and...
. The Band takes part in major events such as The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of Military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams in the Scottish capital Edinburgh...
, as well as a busy schedule of services and charity engagements.
In the past, the band was based at RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
from 1946 until 1994. It then moved four times, until 1999 it moved to RAF Cranwell where it works alongside The Band of the Royal Air Force College.
In October 2007 it featured on Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night is a long running live BBC radio concert programme featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast most Fridays on BBC Radio 2 at 8.00pm. It is the world's longest-running live music radio programme....
with the BBC Concert Orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra....
.
External links
Audio clips
- RAF March Past - pieceRoyal Air Force March PastThe "Royal Air Force March Past" is the official march of the Royal Air Force and is used in some other Commonwealth air forces.The original score was completed by Sir Walford Davies in 1918 for the new RAF; it combined the rhythm of the bugle call of the Royal Flying Corps with that of the Royal...
by Walford Davies.